U.S. States Prepare Test-and-Trace Programs to Reopen Their Economies

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Bloomberg

Several states have launched new efforts to contain Covid-19, laying plans to test aggressively and track the potentially infected with help from nonprofits, universities and the private sector.

Massachusetts, Utah and North Dakota are among those working on the kinds of comprehensive strategies that public-health experts agree are needed to arrest the coronavirus’s spread and lift the social-distancing measures that have shuttered much of the U.S. economy.

“Even if the curve does flatten, we won’t be able to go back to work and school and regular life unless we chase the virus down much more significantly,” said Joia Mukherjee, chief medical officer of Partners in Health, a nonprofit working with Massachusetts to expand the state’s capacity to trace contacts of Covid-19 patients.

The question is how quickly the efforts that have begun can advance with beleaguered diagnostic testing programs across the U.S. still facing shortages of swabs, chemicals and other supplies that severely limit capacity at many labs.



Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-states-prepare-test-and-trace-programs-to-reopen-their-economies/ar-BB12ulVa?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=DELLDHP

[colsohlibgal]

1. Smart

All States should be aggressively doing this since Twitler is worthless.

It is simple this is how we gradually open our country up. Since maybe a quarter or so of those infected are asymptomatic, along with those recovered from it would be immune.

The sooner the better.

[WVreaper]

2. Test, test, test

The only way to return to some sense of normal is to test everybody the wants to resume a public presence.

[Dopers_Greed]

3. It's a travesty that we waited so long to test

Had extensive testing been rolled out immediately, we could have avoided the lockdowns, and prevented a ton of deaths.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. A tragedy. The Trump Catastrophe.

[CousinIT]

7. And saved US taxpayers and states a LOT of money. n/t

[saidsimplesimon]

16. Short term thinking will cause the death of many more.

[IronLionZion]

11. Trump probably failed a lot of tests in school

and held a grudge against tests ever since

[cstanleytech]

5. Needs to be test, trace and support as the people that are found to be infected and that means they

will not be able to work for awhile which means that if they do not have the savings and or financial means to support themselves while they are out of work that they need to be given that support.
Not to mention they will need help by having things like food and medicines delivered.

[Steelrolled]

6. "The question is how quickly the efforts that have begun can advance with beleaguered

The question is how quickly the efforts that have begun can advance with beleaguered diagnostic testing programs across the U.S. still facing shortages of swabs, chemicals and other supplies that severely limit capacity at many labs.

I have heard of a new test coming very soon that will use a pin-prick to get a small blood sample, and then give a result within hours, presumably not requiring to be sent to a specialized lab. It includes an antibody test that will tell you if you already had the virus.

[SheltieLover]

8. Yes!

[usaf-vet]

9. Hear is a plan that is in the early planning stages to get the the country open. The explanation...

.... can be found here.

https://www.ted.com/talks/danielle_allen_an_ethical_plan_for_ending_the_pandemic_and_restarting_the_economy?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

[Initech]

13. Call me skeptical but I feel like that could backfire big time.

Having a GPS tracker on your phone that could identify cases would not only make people fearful of each other (especially in a country where there are more guns than people), but it could also get things horribly wrong too. I foresee this ending very badly.

[iluvtennis]

10. Glad to see states starting these programs -- this is what China and South Korea did. Only thing

is it should be a national initiative, not just handled at the state level.

And wait for it...trump will take credit for what the states are initiating.

[Steelrolled]

12. Personally I see it being more effective at the state level

as there is such a wide difference in what states are experiencing. The federal government would just slow it down.

[Bayard]

14. It still doesn't sound like the tests are totally reliable

They're still getting false negatives, false positives. Plus, some research is showing the virus can re-occur in some, or they can be re-infected.

Just not putting all my hopes in the testing basket, unless they're going to do it daily. All it takes is a few Corona Marys to start the whole mess again.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

15. I don't care if they do open some businesses, I'm not going to go in them as long as

There are more than a handful of cases everywhere. And I dont think a lot of people will either.

I mean do I really need a new pair of shoes that bad? Do I really mind having take-out food as oppposed to sitting around a bunch of strangers?

The government might be able to make the mistake of opening things back up too early. But it can’t make people who aren’t confident in safety patronize them.